Panic has gripped grassroot and block level workers of Congress, the ruling party, in the violence-affected Upper Assam districts following the diktat from the banned United Liberation Front of Asom to resign from the party.

The ULFA in reaction to the intensified Army operation in Upper Assam districts, threatened to train its gun on Congress workers if the state government failed to put brake on the Army operation.

A commander of the banned militant group called up local newspapers in the state threatening to kill colleagues of Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi if the state government didn't put immediate brake on the intensified Army operation in the state especially in Upper Assam districts.

The ULFA commander issued the threat to Congressmen in the state in the wake of killing of a senior leader of the outfit's 28th battalion, Bibhishan Chetia alias Palashmani Baruah by the Army at Kakopathar area of Tinsukia district in Upper Assam on the night of Friday last.

The banned militant group's dreaded 28th battalion has directed grass root Congress workers in Tinsukia district to leave the party immediately to avoid 'dire consequences.' This has pressed the panic button in the Congress ranks in that district. The militant group has already shot dead two Congress Panchayat leaders at Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts since January 5.

A source in the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee in Guwahati informed that a large number of panic-stricken Congress workers thronged the district Congress Committee office in Tinsukia desiring to resign from the party to escape ULFA wrath. Some Congress workers in Doom Dooma in Tinsukia district of Upper Assam quit the party fearing backlash from the ULFA.

He further informed that suspected militants tried to lob a grenade inside Doom Dooma residence of Congress legislator, Durga Bhumij on Sunday. Fortunately, the grenade didn't explode. The legislator was present in the residence at that time.

However, there was no official confirmation about the development from the headquarter of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee in Guwahati. The APCC president Bhubaneswar Kalia denied to have received any resignation from party workers in Upper Assam.